Hoistway inclosure



April 7, 1931 F, A. DAVIDSON HoIsTwAY INcLosURE Filed May 31, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 9..,.lll

April 7, 1931. F. A.-DAv|DsoN HoIsTwAY INcLosURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 3l, 1930 INN Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE FREDERIC A.. DAVIDSON, OF BAYSIDE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 4'1'0 AMERICAN ySAFETY DEVICE C0., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK HOISTWAY IN GLOSURE Application led May 31, 1930. Serial No. 458,593.

This invention relates to hoistway inclosures, and has for its general object and purpose to provide a simple, durable and fireproof temporary inclosure for hoistways in buildings in the course of erection whereby the possibility of accidental injury to the workmen will be, to a great extent, obviated.

It is another object of my invention to provide a temporary hoistway inclosure oi' sectional construction which may be easily and quickl installed and knocked down, and in which t e various parts are of such form that when not in use, they may be compactly stored in a relatively small space.

It is another object of the invention to provide such temporary inclosures for a plurality of adjacent hoistways embodying frames of sectional construction and having upper horizontally extending coupled frame sections forming substantially continuous rigid connections between the frames 'of the several inclosures.

It is also an additional object of the invention to provide the hoistway inclosure at opposite sides thereof with suitable protection ates detachably connected with the vertical grama members of the inclosure.

With the above and other objectsy in view, the invention consists in the improved hoistway inclosure and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of. its several parts as will be hereinafter more fully describe-d, illustratedl in the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

vIn the drawings, wherein I have disclosed one simple and practical embodiment of the invention, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several Vviews,-

Figure l is a perspectiveview illustrating an application of one embodiment of my invention to a series of hoistways, and

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view.

It is customary, in the erection of large buildings to facilitate the transportation of materials to the upper floors as the erection of the building progresses, to provide hoistway openings through the several floors of the building for the material hoisting platforms or elevators. In the present instance, I have illustrated three such hoistways A, B and C respectively, which are of relatively different area and in adjacent relation to each other. Serious accidents sometimes occur by heavy objects being carelessly thrown about the floors of the building, or accidentallyy movedL so that they fall through Vthe hoistway openings, striking the workmen who may be unloading materials from the hoist platform on one of the lower floors. Also the workmen may accidentally trip or stumble and fall through the hoistway opening. It is the purpose of my present invention to provide a safety steel inclosure for the hoistway which will eifectually prevent such accidents. To this end, I have herein illustrated the inclosure as embodying a frame structure consisting of the tubular vertical-members which are arranged adjacent to each of the corners of Vthe hoistway opening and may be engaged at their lower ends upon suitable floorblocks indicated at 6. The vertical members 5 at Vopposite sides of the hoistway are rigidly connected together at their upper ends by the transverse tubular members 7 and adjacent to their lower ends by similar tubular members 8. Y At the points of intersection of the members 7 and 8 with the upright or vertical members 5the said members are secured to each other by means of the coupling or clamping devices shown at 9.

At their upper ends, the vertical members 5 are also rigidly connected together by the tubular frame members 10. As clearly shown in Fig. l, these members 10 may` be made up of a number of lengths of metal tubing detachably coupled together so as to provide a substantially continuous frame member which is common toV the-several hoistways A, B and C. The upper frame members l0 are detachably connected with the vertical members 5 by the coupling or clamping devices ll.

To the upper and lower transverse frame members 7 and 8 at one or both sides of each hoistway, the frames of the metal screens shown at 12 are detachably Asecured in any desired manner. In the present instance, I

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have indicated wires 13 for this purpose which can be readily passed around the screen frames and the adjacent tubular frame members 5, 7 and 8, and the ends of said wires twisted together. These frames afford complete protection against the possibility of workmen stumbling and accidentally falling through the hoistway ioor opening.

At the other sides of each hoistway inclosure, I provide suitable gates. The particular gate construction and mounting, herein generally indicated at 14 forms no essential feature of the present invention, as it is fully described and claimed in a separate application for patent. For the purpose of this explanation, it will suffice to state that the parts of this gate are detachably connected with one of the vertical frame parts 5 by the clamping devices shown at 15. lVhen this gate is in the position shown at the right in Fig. l, the opposite sides of the inclosure are entirely open so that materials may be readily loaded from the floor of the building upon the hoisting platform. Vhen the gate is disposed in the position shown at the left in Fig. l of the drawings, a complete guard means is provided at the open side of the inclosure preventing large heavy objects from being moved over the floor into the hoistway opening, or the accidental falling of the workmen therethrough.

Since all of the parts of the hoistway inclosure above described, are substantially constructed of steel, it is entirely fire-proof. However, since the parts of the frame structure are of metal tubing, they are comparatively light in weight so that they may be handled with ease and rapidity and readily assembled and connected in the course of erection of the inclosure. After the building has been completed, the hoistway inclosures may be readily dismantled or knocked down. rIhe tubular parts of the frame structure and the wire screens l2 may then be compactly arranged for transportation or storage in a relatively small space. While the metal tubing is of small diameter and comparatively light, it provides a structure of great rigidity and the several parts are coupled or clamped together by the devices 9 and ll. The saving in time in the installation of such inclosures, over that incident to the building of such inclosures from wood boards, more than compensates for the comparatively small expense involved in the use of my improved inclosures.

I have herein shown and described an embodiment of the invention which I have found entirely practical and efficient for the purpose in view. Nevertheless, it will be understood that my invention is susceptible of more or less modification in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts, and I therefore, reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly incorporated within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim: l

l. A safety inclosure for material hoistways comprising a metal frame structure consisting of vertical members adjacent to the corners of the hoistway opening, upper and lower transverse members extending be tween the vertical members at opposite sidesv of the hoistway opening, means for detachably coupling said vertical and transverse members with each other, wire mesh screens detachably secured to said vertical and transverse members, upper horizontal frame members extending between said vertical. members at the other sides of the hoistway opening, coupling devices detachably connecting said horizontal and vertical frame members, and adjustable gates detachably mounted upon one of the vertical frame members at the latter sides of the hoistway opening.

2. A safety inclosure for material hoistways comprising tubular metal frame members, means for detachably coupling the frame members together, wire mesh screens and means for detachably securing the same to the frame at opposite sides of the hoistway opening, and protection gates at the other sides of the hoistway opening detachably mounted upon certain of the tubular frame members.

3. Safety inclosures for material hoistways comprising vertical tubular metal frame 100 members at opposite sides of a series of adj acent hoistway openings, upper and lower tubular frame members extending between said vertical members, coupling devices detachably connecting said members with each ias f other, wire mesh screens detachably secured to said frame members at opposite sides of the hoistway openings, upper horizontal tubular frame members constituting a common connecting means between all of the No vertical frame members at one side of the series of hoistway openings, devices for detachably coupling said horizontal and vertical frame members together, and protection gates for the latter sides of the edge 1155 of the hoistway openings vdetachably mounted upon certain of said vertical frame members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

FREDERIC A. DAVIDSON. 

